Cartridge-loading machine.



H. M. PIERCE.

CARTRIDGE LOADING MACHINE.

APPLIGATION FILED SEPT. 2, 1911. RENEWED MAY 21, 1913.

Patented Dec. 23,1913.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

FIG r 21k (E f 1 i E l inn WITNESSES:

Z Ivan/2s.

H. M. PIERCE.

CARTRIDGE LOADING MACHINE. AFPLIQATION FILED SEPT. z, 1911. RENEWED MAY 21. 1913.

1,082, 1 37. Patented Dec. 23, 1913.

3 SHEBTSSHBET 2.

WIT/YESSES WVEA/TO/P A? 771% 55 By H. PIERCE. CARTRIDGE LOADING MAGHINE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. Z, 1911. RENEWED MAY 21. 1913. 1,082, 1 37.

Patented Dec. 23,1913.

' a SHEETS-SHEET s.

MWE/VTOI? In the drawingsflFigure lfis a sectional .30 for operating a doublejrow of temps; Fig. 4

Q therein.

- 59 A pair of such toggle rolling cams is prol fi able in supports and guides k on the machine UNITED STATES, PATENT orri on .n-ARRY M. PIERCE, or WILMINGTON, DELAWARE, essmnon 'ro E. 1.1m roitrm moons rowpns. ornnw mess 2'0 all it may concern;

'Beitf 51:11am that I, HARRY M. Pmnon, a citizen of the United States, residing at Wilmington, county of Newcastle, and State of Delaware, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Cartridge-Loading Machines, of which the following is a full, clear,

and exact description, reference being had to the -ac'companyi drawings, which form a part of this speci cation.

The invention relates to dynamite cartridge filling machines of the type disclosed in the Hall Patent No. 601,138, issued March v22, 1898, and the Donaldson Patent No. 899,592 issued Sept. 29,1908, The present invention, however, relates only to the anti-:t'riction driving mechanism for operating the tamps, the object being to provide; means for uniformly and a curfatIy 'pacIki the dynamite into ishell of any required number or size. I do 0t, therefor illus trate or describe the j'entii'e'f machine, but only that part thereo whichfithe'linven tion relates.

elevation of mechanism for operatin'ga siny gle row of tamps. Fig.2 isa'seetional plan on the line 22 of Fig. 1. Fig." 3 is-a sec-- tional elevation of part of the mechanism is ,a side elevation of-modified form o-fmecln anism for operating the fcams for resetting.

the/dogging mechanism, a is the machine frame.

which are secured eccentrics 'c. "A"crosshead d, sliding in vertical guides d'isconnected with and reciprocated from eccentrics clby means of connecting rods e. In the 'machine of Fig. 1 there is a single row of tamping rods 1 sliding vertically in guides 'f, 7,- on the frame. To these rods are attached extensions (not shown) adapted to enter the cartridges and pack thepowder Secured to'cross-head d are shaftsg car-I rying bearing blocks 72. These blocks have a revolving motion upon shafts 9 and a sliding motion in the toggle rolling cams 2';

vided, for each tamping rod f. These toggle rolling cams are held in position, upon shafts g by means of collars z" and are fulcrumed at their outer ends to blocks j adjust- Specification of Letters Patent. Applicationfiled September 2, 1911, Serial no. 647,344. Renewed May spring k levers 1 labldk' sliding- {fit in a 'sldtointh tainp r J-upp'er ends of the dogging --:'ro,d s "against is rigid bangs" Turning iii bearings the dogging rods: ,levers st are normally pressed against cam "member, r; by'fmea'ns or V 1 also ct topresstheddggiiigrods againso' Bolted to the" I i 35 frame are bearings b for the shaft 6, to H 'the shaft p isa spur At each downward strol the powder in 'theshells and the tamp rods re'main' stationary, s'li between opposing curved faces of th COMPANY, or wrLMINGroN, ,DELAWAR-E'A CORPORATION Patented Dec. 23, 1913. 21, 1913. Serial No. 769,093.

frame. Caps k are secured'to supports 7: and hold the bl-ocks'j in lace. In each support k, to the rear of lock 9', is placed a spring k tending to force out the corresponding block. Anadjusting screw carries a disk 70 abutting against therear of'the By means of this screw, the ten- $1011 of the spring against its corresponding block may be regulated. Toggle levers Z are fulcrumed to brackets j on adjustable blocks j. The toggles of each pair are jointed together at their inner ends. Vertically extending dogging rods on (one for each tamping rod 7) are jointed to the several palrsof toggle levers Z. The rods slide 1n guides f. A rigid bar or stop secured to the frame, arranged-beneath thetdgg'le Z: on 'each tamp 'rod f -i 0" provided wit'-hi%a*tong11e' f intheframe is a shaft ,to"wh icliiislse cured a doublecam r, 1*, one member r 'of which bears against; dogging leversf s, "while the other member '7" is adapted to en age arms m projectinglaterallyjfrom the 'upperends of dogging rods The doggin levers s; are pivoted betwe'e'n their ends {to 'The lower ends of the springs is; which rigid bar 02 The upper'ndsfof dogging ins'tthe"ta1nprods On a gear" ".2 s s s aspur gear 2? 011a shafttnto which iss'e;

levers *8 rest aig cured a hand operating lever'tl Theopera-tionof the above mechanism is as follows: The drawiiigs show the mocha nismduring the "operation of filling the shells. "The shafts 1 through-theatres connecting rods e, 'c'ross head d,sllaftsf g and blocks h, imparts rocking 'moti'on to toggle rolling cams i on their' adjiistable Hockey.

v olf'thecross-head kl thetarnp-rodsf are carried downi cams z and the exteiisioi'is of the rdds eh*"' pack it until a given resistance 'isenconntered, after is 4 aids-, During rw rdstrokeofthe cros's -li'ead cl, the tamp rods are lifted by the cams. It

will thus be understood-that at each come 7 rest upon the bottoms after any block has been extent,

plete oscillation down and up of the cams t, each. tamp is lifted a net distance equal to the-amountof powder packed in he corre- The loose sliding blocks 0 spo'n'ding shell. are consequently lifted slightly higher at each upward stroke of the" crosshead; When any given shell is packed to its full the block 0 of the corresponding tamp rod f will have been lifted sufficiently high to engage and override the corresponding dogging lever 8. During the up ward strokes of the tamp rods f the blocks 0 of the slots 0; but lifted, as described, into engagement with its respective dogging lever s, itwill be carried, during the following downward movementof its tamp rod f, into'position at the upper end of the slot 0; after which, before the completion of the downward movement of such tamp rod, the saidwblock 0 will be carried down therewith and apply sufiicient pressure upon the dogging-lever s and dogging rod m to force the corresponding pair of toggle levers Z down against the stop-bar h and into a straight line position, thereby forcing back the corresponding adjustable blocksj, which retract the corresponding toggle rolling cams 1', from the corresponding tamp rod f. Thereafter, the said tamp rod is at rest, the corresponding toggle roller cams vibrating as before but not touching the tamp rod. \Vhen any particular pair of toggle rolling cams '11 has thus been rendered inoperative, the corresponding tamp f has not been carried down to the extent that it would have been had the cams 2' not been rendered inoperative and had the block 0 not been stopped by the dogging mechanism; but the lower end of the extension (not shown) of said tamp is about (say) four and one half inches above the top of the powder in the corresponding shell and is therefore in'position for operation as soon as the filled shells are removed and empty shells placed in position ready for the next operation. After all the shells are filled and hence the cams z rendered inoperative and a set of empty shells placed in position, the operation is started as follows: By means of the operating lever t and the spur gear connection between shafts t and p, the cam r, r, is turned, causing member 1" to move all the dogging levers 8 into position to release all the loose sliding blocks o'and allow them to slide down into resting position as shown, and allowing all the tamp rods f to descend until they rest against the bottoms of the empty shells. At the same time, the cam member 17 engages arms m and lifts dogging rods m and toggle levers Z, allowing springs It to press blocks 7' and cams 2' against the tamping rods f. The arrangement is such that, in the movement of the lever t, the undogging of the tamping rods f occurs at the same time that the cams 'i engagethe tamping rods, whereby the latter are carried down by the camstothe bottoms of the empty shells at theend of the down stroke, thus preventing the tamping rods from falling. The machine continues to operate and each tamping rod continues to .tamp its respective shell until it is dogged as hereinbefore described.

The mechanism of Fig. 3 differs from that of Figs. 1 and 2 only in that, it is adapted to actuate a double row, instead of a single row, of tamps. The various parts of similar construction are similarly lettered in the two sets of figures. The only substantial difierences are the following: In the double-row mechanism, the toggle levers l of a pair are not jointed together, but each is jointed to one of the pair of dogging rods m and their inner ends bear against the rigid bar '1). A rectangular bar w is secured to the cross-head (Z and extends between the two rows of tamp rods 7, the latter sliding between this bar and the cams. i. There are,-of course, provided two-cams, one for each set of dogging levers and dog-. ging rods. These cams are mounted respectively on the'shafts a: and m; The shaft :0 is driven from the/shaft at", through the medium of spur gears m and m". Spur gear 00 drives gearfm and-also gear at? on shaft w. On the shaft of gear :0 is the hand operating lever 00.

In Fig. 4 is shown a modified and simplified means for turning the cams that actuate the dogging levers and rods. The cams aresecured respectively to the shafts y and 3 which are geared together directly by the spur gears 3 and y. The hand operating lever may be applied to'either shaft 7 or shaft y.

The degree of hardness shells is, regulated by screwing or unscrewing the adjusting screws 71: thereby, through blocks j and cams z, increasing or diminishing the pressure against the tamping rods f and thus varying the resistance of the rods to slippage. a

While all the tamps start tamping empty shells at the same time, any variations and irregularities are controlled because 4 the tamping rods and their actuating and undogging mechanisms are independent of each other.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. In a machine for loading shells, the combination with a series of independent tamping rods, of a'series of cams fulcrumed of packing in the to rock in the direction of extension of the Lesa-as? downward movement, 'means to rock said cams, and independent mechanism controlled by each rodfor disengaging the corresponding cam from said rod. when the latter has moved lip to a determinate extent. '2. In 'amachine 'for loading shells, the combination with a series of independent t'amping rods, of a series ofcams fulcrumed 'to rockin the direction of extension of the 'tamp'ing rods, said cams having curved faces adapted to engage and reciprocate the tamping rods. but permitting the latter to slip upwar'dfunder predetermined resistance to downward movement, means to rock said ams, ad-jii's'table spring-pressed blocks on which said""ains are lcrumed, andindependentmeclianism controlled by each rod for movingthe corresponding cam and block outward when such rod has moved up to a determinate -extent. i 3.'In a machine for'loading shells, the combination with a series of independent tamping rods, of driving means for reciproeating each rod, each of said means being 2 independently movable out of engagement with its corresponding rod, toggle levers for each-5 driving means adapted when moved s'traight line position to disengage responding driving means from its corresponding rod, independent"dogging for so operating the correspondin tc gle levers and means carried by each a adapted to; be lifted above the correond Qdogging-medhanism after said rod M11 ha s beel'ij retracted to a determinate extent "and-operate said dogging mechanism in the downward movement of said rod.

loading shells, the conibin'ation with a seri s of independent crjnmtampi ng rods and a series of independent i pendent driving means for reciprocating each tamping rod, independent means carriediby each tamping rod adapted to be lifted tiflfgg' above' the corresponding-dogging rod after said tamping rod has been retracted to a determinate extent and operate said dogging ro'd in the downward movement of said ita mping rod, independent mechanism actum2; 15 ate-d by each igthei'corresponding driving means from the {corresponding tamping rod, and means actuated from a common control tooperate all avthe dogging rods to simultaneously permit g ia l l'the driving means to re'ngage their re- "lspective tamping rods. I

r 5', I n a machine 'for loading shells, the

* 'combinatio-n with a series of independent itampingrods, of independent driving means 0 rictionally'engaging and adapted to oper- .-::ateieach rod, independent releasing means wfor disengaging each driving means'froin l its corresponding rod, a block having a limited, sliding movement on each rod and 2515:175 dogging mechanism, connected with and tamping rods, engaging and 'rma-lly stationary dogging rods, of indeoperative.

tamping rods adapted to dogging rod for disengaging which the tamping rods operating each releasing meansgadapted to ingrod and actuated by saidflblock, in'the operate the releasingmeans:

6. In a'machine for loading shells, the combination with a vseries of independent tamping rods, ofindependent driving means frictionally engaging-and adapted to operate each rod, independent releasing means for disengaging each "driving means from its corresponding rod, a block having a limited sliding movement on each rod, dogging mechanism, connectedivith and oper-' ating each releasing imeans, adapted to be overridden by its corresponding block in the receding movement of its correspondnext forward movement of said rod, 7 to ing rod and actuated by said block, in the next forward movement of said rod, to

operate the releasing means, and means operated from a single control to actuate all the dogging mechanisms to permit all the blocks and rods to drop and render the releasing means inoperative;

7. In a machine for loading shells, the combination with a series of independent of independent drivingmeans adapted to operate each rod, independent normally inoperative releasing meansfor disengaging each driving means from its corres'pondingrod, a normally stationary dogging rod connected with and adaptedwhen actuated tooperate each releasing means, a dogging leverpivoted on each dogging rod, a block carried by each rod adapted after the rod has receded to a predetermined extent to abut against the corresponding lever and therebyactuate the corresponding dogging rodand releasing .1

operable from a common alltthe levers to release to operate all the dogthe releasing means inmeans, and means, control, to operate all the blocks and ging rods to rende 8. In a machine for loading shells, the

combination with a seriesof independent be *reciprocated in the direction oftheir length, 'ofa series of cams fulcrumed to rockin the direction in are reciprocable, said .cams having curved frictional faces adapted to reciprocaterthe tampingrodsbut permitting them vto slip underpredetermined resistance to movement, and means to rock the cams. a i In a IIlEtClllIlB'fOI loading shells, the combination with a series of independent tamping rods adapted to be reciprocatedv-in the direction. of their length, of a series of cams fulcrumed to rock in the direction in which the tamping rods are reciprocable and also movable laterally toward and;- from" the tamping rods, said cams having curved faces adapted to engage and reciprocate the tamp- &

ing rods but permitting the latter to slip 'un der predetermined resistance to downward movement, means to rock said cams in unison and independent mechanism controlled by each rod for moving the corresponding cam laterally away from the rods.

10. In a machine foriloading shells, the combination with a series of independent tamping rods, of a series of cams fulcrumed to rock in the directionof extension of the tamping rods, said cams having curved faces adapted to engage and reciprocate the tamping rods but permitting the latter to slip upward under predetermined resistance to downward movement, 'means to rock said cams, laterally slidably blocks on which said cams are respectively fulcrumed, springs normally holding said slidable blocks in position to cause the-cams to operatively engage the respective rods, and independent mechanism controlled by each rod adapted in the downward movement of eachrod after such rod has moved to a determinate extent, to move the corresponding block a cam for simultaneously lifting all the dogging rods to permit all the driving means to reengage their respective tamping rods.

12. In 'a machine for loading shells, the combination with a series of independent tamping rods and a series of independent dogging rods and a dogging lever for each dogging rod, of indepen for reciprocating each tamping rod, independent means controlled by each tamping rod adapted, after such tamping rod has been retracted to adeterminate extent, to engage the corresponding dogging lever and depress it and the corresponding dogging rod, independent mechanism, actuated by each dogging rod in its downward movement, for disengaging the corresponding driving means from its respective tamping rod, and a cam adapted to engage and lift all the dogging rods to permit all the driving means to reengage their respective tamping rods and also adapted to disengage all the dogging levers from their respective tamping rods to permit the latter to descend.

13. In a machine for loading shells, 1

ent driving means combination with a series of independent tamping rods, of independent'drivin means for reciprocating said rod, a block for each rod having a. limited sliding movement thereon, independent mechanism for disengaging each driving means from its corresponding rod, said block being adapted when its corresponding rod has moved up. ward a' determinate extent to override the corresponding disengaging mechanism and actuate it in the subsequent downward movement of said rod.

14. In a machine for loading shells, the combination with a series of independent tamping rods, of independent 'drivin means for reciprocating said rod, a block for each rod having a limited slidingv movement thereon, independent mechanism for disengaging each driving means from its corresponding rod, said block being adapted when its corresponding rod has moved upward, a determinate extentto override the corresponding disengaging mechanism and actuate it in the subsequent downward movement of said rod, and means actuated from a common control for moving said disengaging mechanisms into position to permit said blocks to drop and permit all said driving means to reengage their respective rods.

15. In a machine for loading shells, the combination with a series of independent tamping rods and a series of independent dogging rods and dogging levers, of independent driving means for reciprocating each tamping rod, a block for each rod liaving a limited sliding movement thereon and adapted, after its tamping rod has been lifted to a determinate extent, to override the corresponding dogging lever and, in the subsequent downward movement of said rod, depress said dogging lever and the corresponding dogging rod, and independent mechanism, actuated by each dogging rod in its downward movement, for disengaging the corresponding driving means from its respective tamping rod.

16. In a machine for loading shells, the combination with a SeJics of indepen ent tampingirods and a, series of independel-t dogging rods and dogging levers, of inde- 5 pendent driving means for; reciprocati'ig each tamping and. a block ior each rot; having a limited sliding movement thereon a d adapted, after its tamping rod has 111 lifted to a determinate extent, to ov rride the corresponding dogging lever and ..i the subsequent downward movement sf said rod, depress said dogging lever and the corresponding dogging, rod, independent mechanism, actuated by each dogging rod in its downward movement, for disengaging the corresponding driving means from its respective tamping rod, and a cam adapted to engage and lift all the dogging rods to ezinit all the driving means to reengage corresponding rod their respective tamping rods and adapted also to move all the tamping levers from under thelr respective blocks to permit said blocks to drop and the tamping rods to be again actuated by their respective driving means.

17. In a machine for loading shells, the combination with a series of independent tamping rods, of a series of cams fulcrumed to roc I in the directionof extension of the tamping rods, said cams having curved faces adapted to engage and reciprocate the tamping rods but permitting the latter to slip upward under predetermined resistance to downward movement, a cross-head, guides in which said cross-head reciprocates, a shaft carried by said cross-head, blocks on said shaft slidable in the respective cams, means to reciprocate the cross-head, and independent mechanism controlled by each rod for disengaging the corresponding cam from said rod after the latter has moved up to adeterminate extent.

v 18. In a machine for loading shells, the combination with a series of independent tamping rods, of a series of cams fulcrumed to rock in the direction of extension of the tamping rods, said cams having curved faces adapted to engage and reciprocate the tamping rods but permitting the latter to slip upward under predetermined resistance to downward movement, a cross-head, guides in which said cross-head reciprocates vertically, a shaft carried by said crosshead, blocks on said shaft slidable laterally in the respective cams, movable bloc s on Which said -cams are respectively fulcrumed, a driving shaft, an eccentric thereon, a connecting rod between said eccentric and said cross-head, and independent mechanism controlled by each rod for moving the corresponding last-named block away from its after the latter has moved up to a determinate extent.

19. In a machine for loading shells, the combination with a series of independent tamping rods, of a series of cams fulcr'umed to rock in the direction of extension of the 'tamping rods, said cams having curved faces adapted to engage and reciprocate the tamping rods but permitting the latter to slip upward under predetermined resistance to downward movement, means to rock said cams, slidable blocks on which said cams are respectively fulcrumed, a pair of toggle levers jointed independent mechanism controlled by each rod adapted after said rod has moved up qtO a responding pair of toggle levers toward a corresponding blocks and'moving the corresponding cams out of operative position.

20. In a machine for loading shells, the combination with a series of independent tamping rods, of a series of cams fnlcrumed to rock in the direction of extension of the tamping rods, said cams having curved faces ing rods but permitting the latter to slip upward under predetermined resistance to downward movement, means to rock said cams, slidable blocks on which said cams are respectively fulcru'med, means to rock said cams, springs tending to move said blocks and cams into operative relation wit-h the tamping rods, a pair of toggle levers jointed to each pair of blocks, independent mechanism controlled by each rod adapted, after said rod has moved up to a determinate ex tent, to move the corresponding pair of toggle levers toward a straight line position, thereby retracting the corresponding blocks and cams, and means operated from a common control to simultaneously move allthe toggle leversiaway from a straight line position, thereby causing all the blocks and camsto be restored to operative position.

In testimony of which invent-ion, I have hereunto set my hand, at lVilmington, DeL, on this 25th day of August, 1911.

HARRY. M. PIERCE.

A. M. GORMAN.

to each pair of blocks, and

determinate extent, to move the corstraight line position, thereby retracting the adapted to engage and reciprocate the tamp- I 

